Not All the Boys can be Bad
by LunaRoseWish
Summary: Rantaro was different from the other degenerate males… (Tenko, Rantaro, and the little moments they share)


"You degenerate males!"

Tenko's empty insult echoed sharply back and forth within the spacious gymnasium, her sharp green gaze scanning over the other students around her.

A tall-ish boy in all black pulled his hat down to cover his eyes, and the blonde girl next to him stared at him with concern. A tall, burly boy with long, brown hair recoiled in shock, while a short boy, wearing a pointed hat glared at her with distaste. A short, pale skinned, indigo haired boy laughed cheekily, while a taller purple haired man took a threatening step towards her, his star filled jacket flying out behind him.

"Hey, what are you insulting us for? We haven't done shit!" The man in the galaxy jacket shouted, his glare doing nothing to faze her.

"Ahahahaha! What a weak insult! I can't believe you're getting so worked up over it!" The short, purple haired boy all but fell to the ground, laughing so hard that Tenko thought he'd pass out.

"Huh?! Gonta not degenerate!" The burly man cried out, clearly offended.

The boys were interrupted by a low whine, and they turned towards the sound, only to see a young, red haired girl who tilted her tall, black witch hat over her eyes, as if it would block the other students out.

"Nyeh, shut up will you? You're so loud. What a pain," the young girl scolded them, clearly annoyed by their antics.

Tenko stopped her verbal onslaught immediately, turning quickly towards the young girl who was now glaring at them.

"Ah, Yumeno-san! Of course, I'll shut these degenerates up with my Neo Aikido skills!"

The martial artist readied herself in a fighting stance, stopping only at the sound of Yumeno's voice.

"You're annoying too," she grumbled, turning to walk away, "what a pain. I'm leaving."

A low, quiet voice drifted over from the corner of the gym, and a tall, lithe, green haired boy finally walked into the crowd of students.

"Now, now Yumeno-san, I wouldn't say that. Her liveliness is refreshing compared to Monokuma's most recent announcement."

The boy talked as if he were Yumeno's older brother or something. It struck a nerve in Tenko, and she lashed out at him, fists raised.

"Quiet, you degenerate! Let Himiko speak!" She shouted, then, as if realizing something, stopped, only to bow to the smaller girl, "ah, I mean, Yumeno-san! Please forgive my disrespect!"

A sigh from behind her commanded her attention once more, and she faced her classmates once more, noticing that they were in the midst of introductions. A tap on her shoulder had her face to face with the blonde girl and the emo boy.

"Hi there," the blonde girl greeted her cheerfully.

'_Wow, she's so cute!' _Tenko thought to herself, trying to fight a blush from rising to her cheeks.

"Oh—um—hello!"

"My name's Kaede Akamatsu. I'm the Ultimate Pianist."

"And uh—my name is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective," the boy in all black added from behind her.

"Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Neo Aikido Master!" She stepped past Saihara without a word, gathering Kaede's hands in her own with a bright smile, "Akamatsu-san, it's so cool that you play piano!"

She seemed taken aback by Tenko's enthusiasm at first, but soon relaxed, letting a smile spread across her delicate features.

"Please, call me Kaede, but thank you! Oh, you know, it's weird," she started off on a random thought it seemed, but Tenko didn't mind. After all, Kaede had a very pretty voice, "I always imagined that martial artists were like, a bunch of buff boys, but you're so cute!"

'_Cute?!' _Tenko squealed a bit internally.

She was preparing herself to respond, when Kaede's hands dropped from her grasp. She snapped out of her thoughts as Saihara tugged a bit on Kaede's sleeve, muttering something to her. Kaede nodded, and turned to her with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go meet the others now. I'll see you around!"

"Of course!" Tenko called after her as she left, Saihara on her heels.

Introductions took longer than Tenko had anticipated, though it seemed like most of the boys avoided her altogether.

'_Good riddance,' _she told herself grudgingly, '_they're not worth my time and energy.'_

She lost herself in her thoughts, failing to notice her classmates emptying out of the gym, leaving her practically on her own in the gigantic room. When she finally came to, she realized with a jolt of panic that she was alone.

"Ah—wait for me!" She called out to no one in particular, moving to follow her retreating peers.

"Hey," a voice stopped her, low and definitely male.

"What is it, you degenerate?" She snapped, whirling around to see the green haired boy from earlier.

He laughed breathily, seemingly amused by her, "You seem to like that phrase. Tenko Chabashira right? The Ultimate Neo Aikido Master? That's an interesting talent you've got."

She remained silent, studying him from head to toe. The guy looked like a stereotypical pretty boy, unfaithful, liked to play with girl's hearts and such. She held back a snort of disgust.

"What is it to you, degenerate? You'll leave, or you'll have to face the true power of my Neo Aikido first hand!" She threatened obnoxiously, taking a step towards him.

He threw his hands out in front of him, smiling nervously and taking a hesitant step back.

"Wait a minute now, I'm not insulting you or anything," he relaxed a bit before continuing, "my name's Rantaro Amami."

She dropped her hands to her sides slowly, put off by his introduction.

"Rantaro Amami?," she paused, "You didn't tell me your talent—ah—not that I care! I just want our introductions to be fair!"

"My talent?" He averted his eyes for a moment, almost too quickly to catch if you blinked. A shadow of doubt flitted across his usually passive expression, "well, I actually don't know my ultimate talent right now," he hesitated, looking up at her as if studying her reaction.

"You don't know it?"

"But I promise, I'm not a bad guy," he added hastily.

Suddenly, a feeling of apprehension took over her. It was a feeling she couldn't quite place, but something bothered her about this guy. Feeling the urge to escape, she turned away from him, ready to leave.

"It doesn't matter," she threw over her shoulder, "all males are degenerates anyways."

"I thought you said you didn't care though," Tenko caught the words as she walked away, "about my talent. You seem worried."

"I _don't_ care!" She argued, whipping around with newfound fierceness, "like I said, I only wanted our introductions to be fair! Don't put words in my mouth!"

"Of course, my apologies," he quickly apologized, putting his hands up in front of him again, "that wasn't my intention."

She fixed him with a piercing glare, and watched as he hung his head a bit, sighing, then moved to walk past her. He made no more moves to engage with her as he passed, remaining silent until he reached the doorway, where he stopped to glance back at her one more time.

"By the way, that pinwheel in your hair is pretty cute."

He gave her an innocent smile, then turned his head away, letting out an almost girlish yelp when his wrist was roughly grabbed, and he was dragged backwards.

"Huh?! Y—You degenerate! Are you trying to hit on me? How dare you!" Tenko shouted, pulling Amami by the wrist so hard he stumbled backwards, nearly falling.

He quickly recovered, catching his breath and regaining his footing before looking up at Tenko's livid expression, matching it with an amused smile.

"Ah—no, I'm not trying to hit on you. Again, a misunderstanding."

"Yeah right! Now you're just backpedaling!"

"I promise I'm not," he insisted, trying, and failing miserably to keep the giggle out of his voice.

He eventually succumbed to it, facing away from her and muffling his laughter into his hand. Indignance rose up powerfully inside Tenko at the gesture, and a blush rose to her cheeks. She couldn't help but feel mocked by this guy!

"Quiet you—you—"

"Degenerate?" He finished, looking up at her with bright green eyes, "yeah, sorry about that."

"Ugh, stop apologizing, it's annoying! Just go away and leave me alone before I use my Neo Aikido on you!"

He gave her another amused smile, and Tenko noticed the faint tint of pink that colored his cheeks.

'_Of course. Pretty boys like him don't like to lose their cool. He's probably embarrassed by his awful game.'_

"Right, I'll do that," he said as he walked away, waving her goodbye, "I understand you wanting some space. My sister would always get really touchy about long conversations too. Sorry for holding you up."

Something, although what it was, Tenko didn't know, compelled her feet to move, and she found herself following quickly after him, her previous anger gone, now replaced by simple curiosity.

"Wait," she stopped him just as he turned the corner of the hallway leading to the library, her hand wrapped around his wrist, grip looser and more gentle now, "your sister?"

His calm demeanor faltered for a split second, but then he relaxed in her grip and directed his gaze towards her once more. Tenko could swear she saw his eyes glittering with many things. Determination, nostalgia, sadness, regret, love…

"Yeah, my little sister. She just loved making her hair pretty, putting all sorts of stuff in it and braiding it or whatnot. You just...reminded me of her for a second."

She breathed a sigh, loosening her grip on him further, so he could leave if he wanted. She couldn't find the right words to comfort him. For once, he looked...human, to her.

'_We're all trapped here. We have families and friends. Loved ones who are missing us. We all want to go home to someone.'_

She felt his hand slipping from hers and she almost yelped, realizing that she'd been lost in her own thoughts.

'_It must have looked like I was judging him,' _Tenko thought guiltily.

"Wait!" She gasped as he tried to walk away, and reached out to catch his hand again, stopping in mid air when he looked at her, "listen degenerate, we—we'll get out of here you know. Kaede, and everyone, including me, we're gonna help get us all out!"

Rantaro looked surprised at her awkward attempt of consoling him, and he couldn't help but smile at the gesture.

"Yeah, I'm sure we will."

With that, he turned and left the room with a nonchalant wave. Tenko could only watch the gleam of his rings as he disappeared around the corner, and left her alone in the gym.

Tenko growled with frustration as the brush caught in her hair again, tugging painfully against tangled raven strands.

"Argh! I give up, this is useless!" She shouted, all but tossing the brush to the ground.

She reached for her choker, lying in a heap on the side of her dresser, but was startled by a loud knocking, and jumped to her feet, readying herself for battle.

"Come in," she spoke slowly and cautiously, tensing up as the door creaked open a bit.

"Chabashira-san?"

The smooth, honey-like voice drifted from the crack in the door, and Tenko relaxed, recognizing it at once.

"I'm fully clothed, so you can come in, it's fine," she informed him, her clipped words betraying her earlier irritation.

The door swung open a little wider, and Rantaro stepped in, making sure to close the door a bit behind him. His eyes focused on the handle as he carefully touched it, looking like he was afraid Tenko would attack him if he made a single mark on the metal.

"Chabashira-san, Kaede sent me to tell you we're meeting in the—"

He stopped mid sentence, startled by her wildly different appearance. She stared at him in confusion, quickly catching onto the situation and giving him a low grumble of warning. In a familiar gesture, he threw his hands up in surrender, suddenly looking nervous.

"Spit it out degenerate. We don't have all morning to mess around," she demanded, piercing him with pointed emerald eyes.

"Ah—do you need my help?" He stuttered out, body tense with apprehension.

Not knowing exactly how she'd react, he laid one hand on the door handle, ready to make his escape if things got out of hand.

"Huh?!" Tenko exclaimed, offense lacing into her surprised tone, "do you think I'd ever accept help from a lowly degenerate like you? I bet you don't even know how to do a girl's hair!"

He took a step back, somewhat expecting the outburst, but nonetheless scared a bit by it.

"Actually, I've done my sister's hair many times. I can at least try, right?"

Tenko was ready to outright refuse him, but reconsidered doing so when a stray piece of tangled black hair obstructed her vision. She ignored the small chuckle from the corner of the room and sat back down on her bed, crossing her arms indignantly.

"Try if you'd like," she challenged, finding his jade green gaze and matching it with a hard, steely stare, "but if you make me look like a fool, I'll beat you with my Neo Aikido in front of everyone!"

Seemingly unfazed by the threat, Rantaro let go of the doorknob and went to the other side of the room. She broke her stare with him, watching carefully as he retrieved the fallen brush. The bed dipped beneath her as his weight was added onto it, and she soon felt the familiar touch of fingers threading through her hair.

The bristles of the brush combed smoothly through her thick, ebony locks, with Rantaro's hand following soon after them. Soft, feather light touches checked for complications here and there. Whenever he came upon a tangled area, he took special care in gently carding through the knots without force or aggression. It became a soothing pattern. The brush swiftly separating strand by strand, then Rantaro's hand, smoothing over them.

Tenko gave in with a sigh, leaning into his touch just a little, hoping that it went unnoticed by him. She closed her eyes, letting her remaining senses focus on that feeling and routine. Rantaro began to hum quietly, the sound reverberating through the room.

It reminded Tenko of summer days at the dojo, when the hummingbirds would sing, and the sun would filter light through the curtains, drawn back as far as they would allow, so that the sun's rays would reach the people training inside, lifting their spirits.

Tenko faintly heard the quiet _clack _of the plastic brush being set on the wooden nightstand, and a few moments later, a gentle tug at her hair.

"You braid it like this, right?" Rantaro asked her, his voice soft and sweet like honey.

"Mhm," she absentmindedly hummed in response.

She heard a light, breathy laugh behind her, and she couldn't hold back the smile that spread across her face.

A few ribbons and hair ties later, and Tenko heard the rustling of sheets, along with the feeling of Rantaro's hands dropping onto the bed.

"Right, almost done," he muttered to himself.

Seconds later, the pressure beside her on the bed disappeared, startling her out of her state of peace. She opened her eyes with a confused hum, only to see Rantaro holding her pinwheel out in front of him quizzically.

"It's this one, right?" He asked her, his voice cool and collected.

"Oh—um, yeah, that's the one," Tenko stumbled over her words, not expecting the question after the prolonged silence that had settled over the two.

He gave her a definitive nod, and with the pinwheel in hand, grabbed a few more things off the dresser and sat back down beside her.

Only now did Tenko notice how close the two of them were sitting, with her hair practically cascading over his lap, she could hear perhaps his every other rasping breath.

"I—I don't use hairspray," she told him hastily, seeming too out of the blue. She internally face palmed herself.

"I didn't think so," came his simple reply, before he picked up humming another tune.

He situated the large pinwheel in her hair, albeit with a bit of difficulty, and inclined backwards a bit to marvel at his work. With a small, almost inaudible sound of satisfaction, he leaned back towards her, moving to pick something up off of the bed. There was a small shuffling behind her, and in the next moment, she felt something being slid behind her ears.

"Uh—"

"Your headband," he assured her, a hint of humor to his voice.

"O—Oh, okay."

He adjusted the headband a bit back and forth before deciding it was fine where it was and leaving it. Then, with the high pitched _ting-a-ling _of a bell, soft satin pressed against her neck with just enough pressure that she didn't panic. Her choker clicked into place without too much trouble, and once again, Rantaro stood up from the bed, taking a few steps back to study her.

After a minute or two, he happily nodded, then bent down to pick a mirror up from the floor beside the nightstand, holding it up so she could see herself.

"Is this alright?"

His nervous tone almost coaxed a laugh out of her, but instead, she focused on herself. Giving a small giggle of happiness, she nodded, then caught herself and looked away, putting on her tough girl facade.

"Not bad, for a degenerate male."

"I'll take it as a compliment," he laughed airily.

There was an awkward pause between them, and noticing the tension in the air, Tenko quickly thought up a new topic of conversation for them.

"So your sister—"

"I'll see you at the dining hall, okay? Everyone is meeting there, according to Kaede. She'll probably be looking for us," he quickly spoke up, turning away to leave.

Just as he reached for the door, it opened, startling him into stepping backwards a foot or two. Kaede stepped through the doorway, eyes darting around the room as if she'd been searching for them.

'_Speak of the devil,' _Tenko thought, slightly startled by the girl's sudden appearance.

"Tenko-san, I sent Amami-kun to look for you but I can't find—oh," she cut herself off mid sentence, finally catching sight of the two, "am I...interrupting something? I should step outside."

"No, that's alright," Tenko quickly stopped her, her words clipped and tinged with irritation, "he was just leaving."

Rantaro looked at her quizzically, if not a little stung by the Aikido Master's tone, but just as soon averted his eyes in favor of approaching the door. The next time Tenko spoke, it was to Kaede. Her voice was lighter, more childish now.

"The degenerate did find me, though. He said you were gonna have us meet in the dining hall with everyone?"

"Yeah, that's right," Kaede confirmed, giving Tenko a thumbs up.

The martial artist stood up from the bed, dark, swirling braids swaying behind her. White ribbons fluttered as she moved to stand beside the pianist.

"Alrighty then! Sorry I took so long, he was helping me with something," Tenko admitted, pointedly glancing at Amami for a moment, "he predicted that you'd come looking for us."

Kaede laughed lightheartedly, already joining Rantaro in the doorway. Her eyes glittered with optimism when she fixed her deep, magenta eyes on him.

"Well, it looks like he hit the nail on the head! Come on," she gestured to Tenko, who wasted no time in rushing out of the room, "let's go. The others are probably waiting for us already."

The two girls all but skipped off, chatting happily with one another as their forms faded fast down the staircase, leaving Rantaro on his own outside Tenko's dorm. A deep, empty feeling hollowed in his stomach. What did he do? Perhaps Tenko was just putting up an act for Akamatsu, so as not to seem weak, especially to a guy like him, but—

'_It didn't feel like she was acting. It felt a lot different.'_

He raised a hand to his chest, clenching his fingers around the blue fabric in frustration.

'_She was being so difficult at first, but we were having fun, weren't we? She wasn't trying to fight.'_

He dropped, his hands to his hips, heaving a sigh of irritation and defeat.

"Girls are confusing," he mused to himself, starting on his way to the dining hall.

"Wow! These are gorgeous Tsumugi!"

Rantaro heard Kaede's exclamation from down the hall, her voice giddy, reminiscent of the way his sisters would squeal when they received new toys. Deciding to check it out, he followed the sound of her excited rambling, mixed in with someone, he guessed it was Tsumugi's grumbled complaints and self deprecation. As he rounded the corner and peered through the open doorway, he saw Tsumugi fiddling around nervously with her hair and clothes, while Kaede, eyes sparkling with awe, all but danced around her, blabbering in joy.

"They're not all that good, Akamatsu. They're just plain. It's all I can do, you know?" Tsumugi insisted, her tone betraying her inner frustration.

Rantaro felt suspense form a pit in the bottom of his stomach. Why was she irritated? Kaede was just complimenting her, so what was the big deal? It seemed to him like the Ultimate Cosplayer was trying, maybe too hard, to convince Kaede of just how _normal _and _plain _she was.

'_Like she's trying to make everyone see her as nothing special or important, so she won't stand out from the crowd, or attract attention to herself,' _Rantaro analyzed, only more confused by the deduction, '_Is she trying to hide her emotions by blending in? Is she trying to hide her problems? Is she shy?'_

The endless questions spun wildly in his brain, making him feel dizzy.

He realized, after a moment, that he now had two sets of eyes locked on him. A bright, magenta gaze peered at him quizzically, while blue eyes stared at him with dark suspicion.

He suddenly felt nervous and cornered, like a middle school boy who'd been caught spying on the girl's locker room. He waved awkwardly, stepping into the room and straightening his posture.

"Ah, hey there," his voice was threatening to crack, so he cleared his throat before continuing, "I uh—didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything, sorry about that."

No longer able to meet the girls' judging stares, he allowed his gaze to drift downward, catching a flash of pink as he did.

"Oh, you're doing your nails?"

Kaede looked ready to answer him, but was interrupted by a sharp remark from Tsumugi.

"Well, I suppose you haven't been eavesdropping _that _long if you didn't know that."

Rantaro was taken aback by her harsh tone, with her words being forced out through clenched teeth.

What had he done so horribly wrong this time? It's not like the room was locked, reserved for the two of them, or that the girls had been doing anything personal. He sighed in disappointment and exasperation, unable to push away the thought that his sisters were never as difficult. If anything, they welcomed his presence, even in their rooms.

"I just thought that maybe I could help," he suggested, trying to steer them away from the subject.

"You?" Tsumugi eyed him incredulously.

"Really?" Kaede gasped from behind the cosplayer, eyes wide.

"Yeah, I have a bit of experience," He smiled, a spark of warmth lighting in his chest from pride.

"What, with a girlfriend?" Tsumugi pressed him, sounding a bit more like an accusation with the way she said it.

"No, I—uh—I don't have one," he admitted, putting his hands up in mock surrender, as if it would stop them from jumping to conclusions.

When he received silence in response, he began nervously rambling, feeling awkward under the girls' calculating gazes.

"But yeah, I also have a bit of experience doing hair, and though I haven't done it in a long time, I can do makeup as well."

"Woah, no way!" Kaede exclaimed, bouncing up to him with her expression gleaming in wonder, "how can you do all that? That's so amazing, Amami-kun!"

He averted his eyes, feeling flustered under her shower of praise, "it's nothing, really. I can help you out if you want."

He barely caught sight of Tsumugi in his peripheral, gritting her teeth in anger. She opened her mouth to make a comment, but was interrupted by a loud voice.

"It's pretty great for a degenerate, huh?"

All eyes were turned to the doorway at once, where Tenko stood, hands on her hips, and eyes gleaming at him pointedly. He averted his eyes, shuffling with his feet nervously as he felt a sudden rush of anxiety rise up in his stomach.

"It's pretty plain, if you ask me," Tsumugi scoffed, promptly leaving the room in a huff.

Tenko and Kaede alike watched her go with shocked faces, shooting him apologetic glances over their shoulders as if to say, "_she's not usually like this." _

"Ah, anyway, Amami-kun, would it still be alright to take you up on your offer?"

Rantaro, lost in thought and unaware of anything around him, looked up, startled, and stared at the girls blankly for a moment. Tenko, clearly noticing how spacey he'd been, glared at him like she was his mother.

"Listen degenerate, Kaede asked you a question! It's rude to ignore a girl who's asking you politely!"

Embarrassed by the scolding, Rantaro put a hand at the nape of his neck, smiling sheepishly, and wishing, for a moment or two, that he could disappear.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

Tenko let out a low grumble of frustration. Kaede, seemingly unbothered by the whole thing, flashed him a brilliantly white smile, and with a giggle, nodded her head.

"I'll repeat," she told him teasingly, "Can I take you up on that offer? To paint my nails."

"Oh, sure," Rantaro nodded slowly, awkwardness lingering in his movements, "that's fine with me. Same color?"

"Yes—"

"Ah, wait! Me too!"

Both Kaede and Rantaro turned to stare at Chabashira in exasperation. She was now fidgeting with her skirt, face beet red, eyes flickering around the room as she attempted to avoid eye contact with them, her twin braids bouncing lightly with every movement she made.

Rantaro laughed, bringing a hand up to his lips the try and muffle the sound, but to no avail. It was only when he looked up into the aikido master's viridescent irises that he quieted. They now stood face to face, and Rantaro thought that maybe, at this distance, he could see how the blush reached up to her eyes.

"Y—You degenerate! Don't make fun of me! How rude, to treat a lady like that!"

His previous laugh died in his throat, along with any rebuttal he could have formed in that moment. His mouth went dry, and he swallowed thickly, trying to subtly put distance between them.

"Uh—"

"Hey! Keep your eyes on me when I'm talking to you!" She shouted as she advanced on him again.

Despite his better judgement, he risked a look down, only now realizing that she was close enough for him to feel her chest pressed against him. He tilted his head away, fighting back the blush quickly rising on his cheeks, and tried his best to look like he was listening to her rambling.

Then, just as the lack of space between them was starting to make him feel suffocated, he raised a hand to nudge her away from him, but instead, placed his hand where he could only guess was her chest. He only had a moment to regret the decision before she reacted.

Tenko gasped, pushing him away by his face and stumbling backwards in a flurry. Before he could regain his sense of balance, his head was thrown to the side, and a stinging sensation blossomed across his cheek. He walked himself clumsily backwards until his shoulder blades hit the wall, then allowed his entire weight to rest against it. He placed a hand on his cheek protectively, and looked up to see Kaede hovering over Chabashira, a look of concern plastered on usually cheerful face.

"Ah, Tenko-san, maybe you shouldn't do that," Kaede coaxed Tenko into lowering her still poised hand, now reddened from slapping him, "you might hurt him."

Chabashira turned on Kaede, face glowing with anger and embarrassment, "Kaede-san," she cried, clinging onto the pianist's arm, "that lowly degenerate groped me! He really groped me! Sexual harassment! Sexual assault!"

Kaede began panicking at her outburst, trying to quiet the aikido master down in hopes that no one would alert Monokuma, or come running in here only for Tenko to tell them Amami assaulted her.

"Tenko-san, it was an accident, I don't think Amami-san really meant to—"

"No! That man assaulted me!"

"Tenko-san, don't say that!"

Finally finding his footing again, Rantaro pushed himself off the wall and let his hand drop to his side, only to raise it again a moment later, to place it on Tenko's shoulder.

"Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean for anything to—"

In a split second, she whirled around, thick braids whipping about behind her, and faced him in a battle ready stance. Her soft green eyes now bored into him like steel.

"You! Don't touch me! I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Rantaro recoiled like he'd been burned, moving his hand instinctively back to cover his now bruising cheek.

"I'm sorry. Really, I didn't mean to—uh—well, ya'know..."

"So you're admitting to it!" She accused him, rearing back again in preparation for a beat down.

"No! I mean, yeah, I guess I did—but it was an accident, just like Akamatsu-san said—"

"Don't you _dare _bring Kaede-san into this!"

"GUYS!" A high pitched shout cut through their argument suddenly, startling them both.

Standing in between them, red faced and glaring, was Akamatsu. Once she realized that she had their attention, she jumped headfirst into a fit.

"Both of you are acting like children! Do I really need to pull Harukawa-san in here to babysit you two?" She waited a moment for a reply, and when she received none, she went on again, no longer yelling, but voice still stern enough to warn the two that nothing was up for argument, "now, apologize, both of you, and stop this little charade. You two make Ouma-kun look angelic!"

Although the last words were said in exasperation, it clearly affected Tenko, who physically deflated, holding out her had to Amami without meeting his eyes.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, I guess, even though you deserved it."

Rantaro, unaffected by the whole thing, took her hand gently and shook it, laughing breathily as he did.

"Yeah, I guess I did kind of deserve it, huh? Really, I'm sorry about that."

Tenko answered with a small, committal grunt, still refusing to look him in the eye. Feeling awkward, and frankly, overwhelmingly guilty about the incident, he placed his other hand at the nape of his neck.

"Why don't I make it up to you?"

That is what finally got her to look at him, albeit in shock and confusion, but she was looking nonetheless. He smiled when he caught her eye, then, releasing her hand, stepped back and opened his arms in invitation.

"Hit me."

"—Hah?!"

"—Amami-san!"

The girls, having spoken at the same time, shared a glance with one another before Kaede spoke up again.

"A—Amami-san, what are you talking about? This isn't how we solve problems!"

He smiled at her, heart warmed by her apparent concern.

"Don't worry about Akamatsu-san," he assured her, "Chabashira is right. I did deserve it. This is just my way of apologizing."

Kaede opened her mouth to argue, but was interrupted by a small giggle behind her. Turning around, she was met by the sight of Tenko, sitting on the carpeted floor, laughing, with her arms wrapped around her stomach.

"T—Tenko-san?"

She sucked in a breath before raising her head and dropping her hands to the floor, finally meeting Rantaro's emerald gaze with her own.

"Why don't you just paint our nails instead?" She suggested, reaching out a hand invitingly to Amami.

The green haired boy was taken aback, but internally, though he didn't plan to admit it, preferred the neo aikido master's suggestion to his own. He nodded his head, wispy green strands falling into his line of vision when he reached down to take Chabashira's hand in his own and pull her to her feet.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

From the corner of the room, he faintly heard Kaede's small sigh of relief.

The constant sound of paper against paper filled the quiet room as Rantaro skimmed through the endless supply of books in the library. From beside him, Tenko hummed contentedly, admiring the green and white patterns adorning her hands. He looked up, warmth spreading in his chest when he caught sight of her expression.

"It's been a few days. Are you still that enamored with them?"

He expected an outburst, a tangent, an insult, but to his surprise, she only closed her eyes and leaned into his collarbone with a sigh.

"They're beautiful," she simply commented.

He chuckled, reaching out to rest his arm hesitantly on her shoulder, "I'm glad you think so," he took a moment to think before speaking again, this time, more to himself than to her, "The style you chose was really familiar to me, so it was pretty easy I guess."

He felt her shift, and when he glanced down, he found her staring up at him, her expression unreadable.

"You mean your sister, right?"

He tensed up a bit, not expecting her to guess his thoughts. Rantaro was sure she felt it, because she sat up, shaking his hand off of her arm. The urge to stand and bolt without a word was almost too much, but he knew he'd have hell to pay if he chose to run, so he settled for closing the book in his hand and putting it down on his other side.

"I—" he struggled for words, unable to grasp onto an intelligible sentence for long enough to speak it.

"I don't get it," Tenko confessed, breaking into his whirling thought processes with surprising ease, "you always hesitate."

Tense silence blanketed itself over the two. Rantaro searched aimlessly for a way to explain, without bringing back all the regret, all the self loathing, all of...everything. Unwillingly, he thought back to what Kaede had exclaimed after Amami had done her nails, explaining all the while that his sister liked the style of nail art he'd used on both her and Chabashira.

"_Wow, Amami-san, these are amazing! I'm kind of scared to use my hands now, haha, I'm scared that I'll ruin them," she paused, looking thoughtfully over Rantaro from head to toe, "You know, Amami-san, I wouldn't doubt it if your talent turned out to be the Ultimate Big Brother!"_

_Rantaro tried to hide his flinch, "Ah, yeah. You're an optimist for sure Akamatsu-san. I just hope my talent is something people will fear me for…"_

_He didn't pretend not to notice the look of pity casted to him by the girls._

"Rantaro," the sound of his name startled him out of his thoughts yet again, this time, because it was rare, if not unheard of, to hear _the _Tenko Chabashira call him anything other than _degenerate male_.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm...listening."

"You're scared," she said matter of factly.

It didn't sound like an accusation. She stated it as if it was just a fact of life. She said it no differently than if she had been telling him the sky was blue.

"Yeah," he breathed, more out of the need to respond than understanding.

"What are you scared of?"

She didn't coax him, but she didn't interrogate him either. Something about her voice, passive, like water flowing smoothly over the stones lodged in the river, or her movements, soft and not too sudden, like the swaying of grass in the breeze, made him feel at ease.

He was afraid, but not of her, not of her questions, or her actions, or her thoughts. He was scared by his answers and his past, but he was peaceful at Chabashira's side.

"I'm scared of," he hesitated, stuttering a bit before forcing his mouth to move, "my past."

"Why?" She asked, ever as monotone.

"I'm horrible," he choked out, fighting back the oncoming tears he felt burning behind his eyelids.

"You're not," her tone became harsh, "say it again, but change it this time."

"I _did_ something horrible."

"Change it again."

"I," he skimmed his thoughts for a way to say what he felt in a way she would accept, and finally settled on, "I made a mistake, in my past."

"What mistake did you make?"

"A life changing one."

"Fix it again."

He felt frustration well up inside him, and before he could calm himself, the cord of tension in him snapped, and he jerked his body to the side to face her, expression twisting into one of confliction and helplessness.

"There's no other way to say it! There's no other way to explain what I've done!"

The minute the words were out, he regretted them. She was trying to help, and he yelled at her. He hadn't lost his cool since that one time...but he yelled at her. Even still, when he gathered the courage to meet her eyes, they betrayed nothing. For once, Amami saw nothing in her wild green gaze.

Slowly, he took a deep breath, and, hoping that his wording would suffice, spoke up again, "I made a mistake that—that it's hard to bounce back from."

She smiled, albeit it was small, more like the corners of her mouth twitched upward for a moment or two, but it was enough to calm the nerves buzzing in his hands and making them tremble.

As if sensing his anxiety for the question she had yet to ask, Tenko placed her hand over Amami's. He felt the warmth of her touch envelope him, and, not knowing what compelled him to do so, sobbed out an answer, rushed and nearly incoherent.

"I—I—I actually have twelve sisters," he choked on the lump in his throat, and with his head hung low, tears falling down his face, and green wisps of hair shielding his eyes, he muttered, half to himself, "I mean, I did."

He felt Tenko's hand twitch and tighten on his. He was sure it was because he'd never broken down in front of them, the ultimate students. They never knew he had emotions like this.

"You _did_? I'm sorry, Amami-san, I don't understand."

"Rantaro," He murmured, louder now.

She looked at him, puzzled, and cocked her head to the side, either confused, or trying to get a look at him past the shield of hair he hid behind.

"Call me Rantaro," he clarified, raising his head a bit so she was able to see the faint glimmering of tears at the edges of his softened eyes.

Her eyes widened a fraction, but before he could hide away from her reaction, she gripped his hand and pulled it slightly upwards towards her.

"Okay," she whispered in return, raspy, as if she couldn't speak, and she squeezed his hand again, "Rantaro, help me—help me understand."

"Do you want to?" He asked, voice cracking as he shadowed his eyes once again, "really?"

"Of course I do," she murmured in a tone that could only be called loving, "I want to understand you."

Rantaro took a moment of silence to gather his thoughts, then hesitantly lifted his head, and laid his other hand over Tenko's, keeping himself grounded.

"I lost my memory, just like all of you, when we got here," Amami confessed, meeting Chabashira's calculating stare with one of pure sincerity, "but I think maybe I might've lost more than everyone else."

"How so?"

"You all remember your talents, or what you were doing the day you were kidnapped, but me," he stopped, trying to find a way to word it kindly, "I don't remember anything."

Tenko's hand twitched beneath his, as if she wanted to move it, but he only pressed his fingers around hers tighter, willing himself to continue.

"Rantaro, wait," he looked up at her in concern, "if you lost _all _of your memories, then how do you remember your sisters, or your past?"

"I don't, really."

"Huh?"

"Let me explain," he hastily added, "I don't fully remember anything, about who I am, what my talent is, or where I came from, but sometimes I get fragments of memories. A feeling, or an image. It's never solid enough to piece too much of it together, but for me, it's enough."

Tenko was silent for a moment, and Rantaro began to feel the hot prickling of anxiety crawling up his skin. Just as he was going to pull his hand away and leave, she spoke up.

"What is it that you can tell me? About what you've pieced together so far."

He paused, trying to recollect everything he'd remembered up until this point, "Not much," he finally answered, hesitant and quiet, "I have twelve sisters, and I lost them somehow. I learned a lot of what I know about hair and nails from taking care of them. My sisters, they loved my company. They'd always invite me into their rooms to decorate or play with them. They were my everything. Twelve bubbly, happy, perfect girls. I wouldn't have traded them for the world." He paused again, this time trying to fight back the stinging of tears that felt imminent, "I don't...know much else."

"That's okay," the girl at his side reassured him, lightly touching his fingers where they intertwined with hers, "What you said was really sweet. I don't think you have to remember right now. I'm sure that whatever your talent is, it'll be amazing."

He just nodded his head, replying with a thoughtful hum. It was the last noise to ring out into the library before a comfortable silence fell over the two of them, with each of them taking comfort in one another. There was no need for words anymore, but nonetheless, Tenko had something on her mind.

"You know, I think Kaede-san was right about you."

Without looking back at her, and with only a contented smile on his face, he tapped his fingers against her hand and asked, "In what way?"

Tenko smiled, leaning back onto his shoulder, and letting her body fit perfectly against his, feeling as if everything was right with the world, "I think you really could be the Ultimate Big Brother."

This time, he didn't tense up at the statement.

"Why are we here again?"

The quiet, monotone voice of Maki Harukawa came from the corner of the room, speaking the question which was undoubtedly on everyone's minds. Now, in the AV room, Kaito had gathered Tenko, Maki, Rantaro, Angie, Himiko, and Gonta. He didn't tell them exactly why though, something about fighting Monokuma.

"Atua refuses to tell me why Kaito has brought us all here," Angie folded her hands together, "he has chosen to remain silent, so please, tell us Kaito."

"Yeah, what's the big deal? Why all of us?" Tenko demanded snakily from where she stood between Rantaro and Himiko.

Heaving a sigh, Himiko let her eyes droop, and she leaned over, letting her weight rest against Tenko ever so slightly, "Nyeh, what a pain. Whatever it is, I don't want to be a part of it."

Tenko gave up her sarcastic attitude in favor of blinking down at Himiko in surprise.

"But Yumeno-san, why not?"

"It's too much work," the mage pouted.

"All of you, quit arguing! We have important things to talk about. I don't have time for bickering," snapped Kaito, who had been previously silent, standing at the back of the room, not too far from Maki.

"He's right. We should try to avoid conflict. However, Yonaga-san has a point too. You should tell us why we're here," Rantaro spoke calmly, with only a faint hint of suspicion and irritation in his voice.

"Ah—yes, right," Kaito scanned the room awkwardly, suddenly feeling as if he was put on the spot, but he cleared his throat and went on with what he had planned to say, "We all wanna get outta here right? Well, I think I've got a plan. I was thinking—"

"Objection," Maki cut in, voice cold and monotone, "if you have some grand plan, then why aren't we discussing it with _everyone_?"

Angie put a finger on her chin, casting her eyes upward as if in deep thought. She spoke up when her eyes dropped back down to the people around her, "Maki is correct. We should gather every one of us if we are to discuss a plan to escape. We will need their help to get out of this place, after all. Atua says it must be discussed with the others."

Rantaro gave a decisive nod, followed by Tenko, who did the same. Himiko leaned more of her weight onto Tenko, giving a non-commital grunt, and Angie smiled happily, clasping her hands together in thanks. The voice of Kaito split into their collective decision.

"No, guys, listen!" He sighed, trying to collect himself before speaking again, now calm and confident, "I rounded you guys up specifically because—well, at least to me—you all look like fighters. You look like brave souls you wouldn't have a problem fighting Monokuma and his kids."

"Are you trying to say Kaede-san wouldn't fight? That she's a coward?" Tenko challenged, her fists raised and ready to strike.

Rantaro placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, a silent warning not to start a fight. She looked at him, eyes still fiery with resolve, but they softened upon seeing his own emerald gaze; one that seemed to be telling her, "_we need to get along. Now isn't the time to fight."_

Chabashira sighed and lowered her fists, shrugging off Rantaro's hand with a faint blush of embarrassment. Kaito, still taken aback, looked at her with his hands raised in surrender.

'_She gets that reaction a lot, huh?' _Rantaro thought to himself lightheartedly.

"N—Now that's not what I'm saying at all," Momota argued, "I just think that Kaede, well, she's the kind of person to tell us _not_ to fight. I think that maybe, she doesn't think violence should ever be the answer. Believe me, I admire her peaceful and optimistic approach, but it's just not what we need right now."

His voice died out a little as he finished, betraying his disappointment, in himself perhaps. It was clear, with the exception of Angie and Himiko, who seemed unaffected, that the rest of the group didn't know what to say. They all avoided each other's eyes, choosing instead to look at the floor or the door, as if wishing for a quick retreat.

Rantaro thought, personally, that Kaito may have had a point, even if he couldn't quite vocalize it properly. Kaede indeed avoided conflict whenever she had the chance, instead trying to convince everyone to, "_just get along and believe in each other."_ It was hard to respond to sometimes. He remembered, however brief it was, about what had happened that morning in the dining hall.

…

"_Hoshi, no, that's an awful idea! You can't possibly be thinking—"_

"_Of course I am. I already told you, I have no will to live. At least if I died here, it would be of some kinda benefit."_

"_How could you say that?"_

_Rantaro approached the dining hall, a gut wrenching mix concern and exasperation welling up inside him at the sound of the voices. It didn't sound good at all, he thought._

"_What's going on in here?" He asked, standing in the doorway._

_By the long tables stood Kaede and Ryoma, face to face as if they were going to start a fight at any minute. Kaede's face was contorted with disbelief, while Hoshi remained stone faced, despite the growing irritation in his voice._

"_Hoshi is trying to give up his life to end the killing game!" Kaede blurted out, as soon as she caught sight of him, "He's trying to save us from the time limit. Amami-san, you've got to talk him out of this! It's crazy!"_

_Rantaro cast a glance over to Ryoma, who was now repeating himself in a tone so casual it confused him. It was as if he was telling them the sky was blue._

"_Why are you so determined to die? Ryoma, listen to yourself! We have to get out of here, all of us, _alive_!" Akamatsu pleaded._

"_Hey," Rantaro calmly directed their attention to him, "listen. He'll live, 'kay Akamatsu-san? I have a plan."_

_A look of concern and suspicion crossed Kaede's face, so quickly that he could barely catch it before it disappeared again, "Amami-san, don't tell me you're trying to—"_

"_I'm not," he shook his head slowly._

"_Then what's your plan? I can help."_

_Again, he shook his head, more stubbornly, "Don't intervene. Don't do anything reckless or bold. I'll end this killing game myself. Just wait for me, alright?"_

_Kaede had called after him as he left the dining hall. _

…

After a moment or two of tense silence, they all decided to break off into groups and discuss among themselves. Angie cheerfully approached Himiko in conversation, while Kaito went off into the corner to try and reason with Maki. Gonta had mysteriously disappeared, probably scared off by all the fighting. Meanwhile, Rantaro had whisked Tenko away, pulling her off to the side and speaking in hushed whispers.

"Listen, Tenko-san—"

"Just Tenko," she quipped.

Rantaro sighed, rubbing his temple, "Of course. Are you listening?"

When she gave him a nod of confirmation, he placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them slightly, "I don't want you to fight."

"Huh?!" She recoiled, a look of shock and disgust taking over her features as she slapped his hands away, "What are you saying? Do you not think I can fight? Have you met me? Of course I'll fight Monokuma, if that's what we decide."

He took a step forward, following her steps as she backed away in hostility, "Listen to me. It's not that I don't think you can do it, really, it's nothing like that. I know you can fight, and I know that you're strong," he hung his head, allowing his wispy green hair to shadow his eyes, "I know that you would fight to the death, for all of us. Especially if it's Akamatsu-san, Yumeno-san, or myself. I know."

"Exactly! What's gotten into you?" She asked, tone sharp and defensive as she shook him, "Why won't you let me fight? No," she continued, backing away from him again, coaxing him into looking up once more, "I don't need to ask. You don't own me, Rantaro Amami. I'll fight if I feel like it!"

He felt an uncharacteristic stab of annoyance pierce his chest, and at once, he launched himself upward, pinning Tenko against the wall between his arms, his jade eyes boring into hers, "Don't walk away!" He took in her horrified and scared expression, and lowered his head again, making his voice soft as he repeated himself, "Don't walk away."

"Let me go," she demanded, though it came out as more of a plea with the way her voice shook.

"I can't," he answered firmly, monotone, and without emotion.

"Let. Me. Go," she repeated, voice steadier now, "or I'll beat you to the ground using my Neo Aikido!"

Suddenly feeling tired, he leaned his body forward, resting his head at the base of her throat, and letting his hands slide down from the wall so he could wrap his arms around her, going limp, "I told you no. I won't let you fight."

"Why?"

"I'm scared."

"Why?"

He tightened his grip against her shirt, clinging onto Chabashira like it would make her change her mind, "I want to...protect you. I won't be left alone anymore. I'm not—I can't...lose anyone anymore."

He felt her relax upon hearing his words, and a sickening sense of relief drowned out the restlessness in his limbs. He felt surprise ripple through him when she placed a hand on his jaw, kissing his hair lightly.

"Stupid," she mumbled.

"What?"

He pushed away from her slowly, his mannerisms alike to that of a scared stray cat, and looked at her expression, drinking in the affection shining across her face.

"I said you're stupid," she repeated, amusement lacing her tone, "I won't die. I won't leave you. You won't be alone."

"No, I won't," he confirmed, his tone unnerving, "because I won't allow you to fight."

"Rantaro," disappointment and irritation now clashed within her voice.

He gathered his resolve, and straightened his posture, "I'll tell you what I told Akamatsu. Don't intervene. Don't be reckless. I'll end this game on my own."

With that, he spun on his heel and exited the room without another word, leaving Tenko to stare after him to collect her thoughts. With a sigh of defeat, she stepped back into the AV room with Kaito and the others, making no effort to go beyond watching them talk.

It came as far too much of a surprise when Kaede and Shuichi ran down the stairs like the devil was on their tail, an alarm ringing obnoxiously in their hands. In an instant, Tenko was on her feet.

"Shuichi!"

Tenko faintly heard Kaede calling her partner's name as they rushed down the stairs and past the AV room's door so fast she thought Kaede might trip over her own feet. The high pitched screech of a handheld alarm echoed throughout the corridor as they ran farther down the hall.

She wasted no time in pushing herself to her feet and following at their heels, unable to get the image of Kaede's horrified expression out of her mind.

'_Why did she look like that? I don't feel good about this.' _Tenko thought anxiously, willing her legs to carry her faster towards the library, where Kaede and Shuichi had disappeared to. Upon entering, she froze, pushing down the bile that rose from the back of her throat.

The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air, and Tenko couldn't help but allow her eyes to drift over the light blood splatters scattered across the walls.

"Kaede-san?" She called out shakily, apprehension only burning hotter in her stomach when Kaede peeked out from around the corner of a bookshelf, looking pale.

"Chabashira-san…"

Tenko followed her around the corner of the shelf on weak doe legs, falling back onto her backside with an ear splitting screech at the sight she was met with.

"Rantaro!" She shrieked, scrambling to crawl to his body, now splayed lifelessly across the library floor, his vibrant green hair stained pink.

"Chabashira-san!" Kaede called out frantically, dragging her backwards by the arms, "we can't touch him. It would be tampering with evidence."

"I don't care! You have to let me help him!" She shrieked in response, struggling against Kaede's wavering grip.

Kaede opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off, herself and everyone else in the room stopped dead in their tracks by a voice echoing across the room.

In Tenko's numbed mind, buzzing with shock and pain, she barely registered the voice of their captor, coming through the intercom, "A body has been discovered! Everyone, please gather in the library to begin the investigation!"

The aikido master slowly shifted her gaze to the door, watching in dumb silence as student after student filed into the room within moments of the announcement. Screams filled the spacious library when Kokichi, Miu, Kaito, and Gonta caught sight of the body.

At some point, Tenko realized that her body was itching to begin struggling again, but she found herself with no strength or motivation to do so, so she allowed herself to fall limp in Kaede's arms. She heard a sigh of relief from the pianist, which soon morphed into a quiet sob when she once again laid eyes on the dead man in front of them.

'_I don't understand,' _Tenko thought bitterly, shuddering as a fresh wave of grief ripped through her, '_just a day ago we were in here, and moments before this, he was…'_

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tenko remembered the sound of his voice just minutes before now.

…

"_I'll tell you what I told Akamatsu. Don't intervene. Don't be reckless. I'll end this game on my own."_

…

'_End this game my ass,' _she told herself ruefully, '_why? Why are you dead?'_

She slowly came back to reality, not allowing herself to delve too deep into her own thoughts. After all, her mind was a dangerous place to be right now.

'_Not that being trapped in a school for killing and sitting in front of a dead body is any better.'_

She shook her head, clearing herself of the thoughts, and attempted to stand, only to find her legs weaker than before. Within moments of her pathetic attempt at standing, she was already on the floor, having fallen close enough to Rantaro's body to see the dried blood in his hair, and see the individual stripes on his navy blue shirt. She swallowed back the bile rising in the back of her throat, and brought her hand up gingerly to thread her fingers through the still-green area of his hair.

"Th—There's so much b—blood…" she muttered half heartedly, her voice edged with disdain and grief.

Slowly, Tenko came back to the present, and felt a steady pressure on her shoulder. She mustered up the last of her motivation and looked over her shoulder, catching Akamatsu's vibrant magenta eyes, shining with tears, and gleaming with pity.

"We need to go," the pianist softly murmured, coaxing her to her feet, "and let Shuichi handle this."

Tenko stared at her blankly for a moment or two with red, puffy eyes, before allowing Kaede to pull her to her feet, and lean on her as they left the bloodstained library.

"Don't worry," Kaede murmured quietly into her ear as she assisted Tenko in stumbling out of the library, "whoever did this will pay for it."

It was only when she finally registered the image of Kaede Akamatsu hanging lifelessly over the giant piano that she allowed it all to sink in.


End file.
